Electromagnetic switching device



1937.. J. B. WORTH ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Sept. 18, 1935INVENTOR By .J. B. WORTH 9 %ac%mwfl Patented Aug. 10, 1937 Thisinvention-relates toswitching devices and 2,089,320 ELECTROMAGNETICSWITCHING. DEVICE John B. Worth, Tenafly, N. J., assignor to BellTelephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 18, 1935,Serial No. 41,029

5 Claims. (01. 200-87) the latter being of non-magnetic material.

s" PATENT OFFICE The its, object-is to. provide a switching device in.

which sets of oppositely disposed contacts are operated independently inresponse to successive energization of a motor. magnet.

According to the invention the core of an electromagnet'; is fitted atboth ends with angleshaped pieces one ofwhich serves to pivot a bracketof non-magnetic material and an arma-- ture on closely adjacent centers.The bracket is provided with means formounting pole-pieces divergingtoward and in attractable relation with the angle-piece at theother endof the core to form with the armature a system of air-gaps of differentlengths whereby consecutive energization of the magnet attracts thearmature toward one of the oppositely disposed pole-pieces againsttheresistance of a spring'hooked to its supporting angle-piece and tothe armature in the manner of a toggle mechanism. The tensioning andrelease of such a spring is effective to move the bracket and thepole-pieces carried thereby against the angle-shapedpole-piece at theother end of the core and thereby. preparing another magnetic path forthe armature when. a magnet is deenergized, means carried by the bracketbeing provided for actuating a plurality of oppositely disposedswitching means independently in response to the consecutive operationof the magnet.

Other features and advantages of the invention' will appear from thefollowing description and by the claims appended thereto, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawing in which? I Fig. 1 is a sideassembly view showing one of the positions of the armature and that ofthe pole-pieces when the magnet is deenergized;

Fig. 2 is a front view shown with a number of operating parts in.section;

Fig. 3 is asectional View taken on line 33' of Fig. 2, the armaturebeing shown in position corresponding tothat of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the armature moved in one of itsoperated positions through the energization of the magnet;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the position of the pole-pieces whenthe magnet is redeenergized;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the armature and the pole-pieces inposition when the magnet is renergized; and

Fig. '7 is atop view.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and? of the drawing, l0 indicates anelectromagnet having a core II tothe lower disposed end of which issecured as in any ordinary manner. an angle-shapedpolepiece l2 and abase plate I3'and onthe upperv disposed end of core I I is secured as byscrew l4 an-angle-shaped pole-piece l5 and a plate l6,

angle-shaped pieces I2 and I5 which form part of the-magnetic circuitare disposed with their sides opposite extending toward each, other andpreferably at equal distance from the longitudinal axisof the core H.

On the free end of angle-piece I5 is mounted as on pivots l9 and 20abracket in the form of a rectangularly-shaped head member I8 on thelongitudinal sides of which are mounted the plates 2| and 22 divergingfrom their pivotal point and formed with a bridge portion 30 formounting a stud 3| of insulating material pro vided for actuating thesets of contact springs Z and Z1 in a manner that will be hereinafterdescribed in detail.

The plates 2| and 22 like their suporting head member l8 are made ofnon-magnetic material and serve for mounting the pole-pieces 23 and 24in attractable relation with the two opposite sides of the verticallyextending portion of'anglepiece l2, and with the opposite sides of anarmature 25, the latter having a knife-edge pivot 26 engaging aninverted V-shaped groove in the free end of angle-piece l5 and isretained in adjusted position on this angle-piece by a spring 21 hooked.at one end on a pin 28'extending across the armature 25, as shown inFig. 2, and at its other end to a screw 29 passing through provided withan adjustable nut 30 for adjusting the tension of spring 21.

A plate 34 is mountedonthe plate 16, the latter having a. slot 33,shownin Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6,

for permitting the pivotal movement of plate 34 around its fasteningscrew 32 for adjustably positioning'the screw 29 in axial alignment withrespect to the knife edge pivot of armature 2B, the center of pin 28 andthe center of the upwardly extending portion of angle-piece [2 whichcorrespond to the line of maximum tension of spring 21, the function ofwhich being to continue the movement of the armature 25 and polepieces23 and 24toward the opposite sides of the angle-pieces I2 uponconsecutive operation of the magnet and thereby operating the sets ofcontacts Z and Z1 depending upon the direction of movement of thearmature 25.

A typical example of a two-way switching operation is as follows:

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and considering magnet Ill deenergized, thespring 21, connected to screw 29 and pin 28 in the manner of a togglemechanism, iseffective to holdthe armature 25 against. the--pole-piece.23 and thereby the pole-piece 24 against the right side of the upwardlyextending portion of anglepiece l2,, thus holding the sets of contacts Zin the open position. The space or airgap between the armature 25 andthe poleeflect of both the magnet and the tension of.

spring 21 upon the passing of this armature beyond the point of maximumtension of spring 21, that is, to the right side of the center line CL,the pole-piece 24 remaining attracted to the angle-piece l2 and the setof contacts Z operated as indicated in Fig. 4. Upon the deenergizationof magnet ID, the tension of spring 21 acting on the armature 25 causesthe pivotal movement of this armature and the pole-pieces 23 and 24 fromthe position shown in Fig. 4 to a point wherein the pole-piece 23engages the opposite side of the upwardly extending portion ofangle-piece l2, thus closing the set of contacts Z and opening the setof contacts Z1, as shown in Fig. 5, Wherein the air-gap or space betweenthe pole-piece 23 and the armature of the point 371 is considerably lessthan the distance between the polepiece 24 and the angle-piece l2 at thepoint yr with the result that a second energization of magnet l0 willcause the armature 25 to move against the pole-piece 23 as indicated inFig. 6 for returning the pole-pieces 23 and 24 to the position indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2 upon the deenergization of the magnet and therebyreopening the contacts Z and closing the contact Z1, such operationsbeing continued upon the successive energization of the magnet.

It will thus be seen that this device has the advantages of requiringonly a single Winding, and that no current is required to hold the relayin either position and does not involve polarizing, or directionalcurrent requirements. Furthermore since the armatureand pole assemblyare on the same axis for mechanical motion, there should be no frictionbetween the faces of the armature and the pole assembly during travel.

It is understood that minor changes may be made to the invention withoutdeparting from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p

1. In a switching device, a magnet having a core, stationary pole-piecessecured at the ends of said core, a plurality of movable pole-piecesmounted on a common pivot on one of said stationary pole-pieces andextending in engage-, able relation with the other of said stationarypole-pieces, an armature pivoted on said one stationary pole-piece at apoint adjacent the first-mentioned pivot and disposed in attractablerelation with each of said movable polepieces, spring meansautomatically operable upon the deenergization of said magnet forcausing said armature to move said movable polepieces one away from andthe other into engaged relation with the last-mentioned stationarypolepiece, and a plurality of independently operable switching membersactuated by said movable pole-pieces following successive operation ofsaid magnet.

2. In a switching device, a plurality of switching means, a magnethaving a core, a stationary pole-piece secured at each end of the core,a bracket of nommagnetic material and an armature pivotally mounted onone of said pole-pieces, a pair of pole-pieces carried by said bracketdiverging from the pivotal center of said bracket in attractablerelation with the stationary pole piece at the other end of said core,said movable pole-pieces and said armature cooperating to form with theother of said stationary polepieces a system of air-gaps of differentlength for causing the movement of said armature in opposite directionin response to successive energization of said magnet, and spring meansfor moving said armature and said movable polepieces upon eachdeenergization of said magnet in position for alternately operating saidswitching means.

3. An electromagnet having a core, a pole-piece secured at each end ofsaid core, each of said pole-pieces having a portion extending towardeach other in line substantially parallel to the axis of the core, abracket of non-magnetic material and an armature pivotally mounted onone of said pole-pieces, said bracket having a pair of arms divergingtoward their free ends and a pole-piece carried by each of said arms anddisposed in attractable relation with the pole-piece at the other end ofthe core, and spring means acting on said movable armature for changingthe position of said movable pole-pieces relative to said stationarypole-piece upon the deenergization of the magnet for preparing anothermagnetic circuit for said armature and switching means actuatedconsecutively by the movement of said movable pole-pieces.

4. In a switching device, an electromagnet having a core, an angle-piecesecured at each end of said core and having their projecting endsextending toward each other to form stationary pole-pieces, a bracket ofnon-magnetic material and an armature pivoted on one of saidanglepieces, a pair of arms carried by said bracket diverging from thepivotal center thereof, a polepiece carried by each of said arms anddisposed for alternatively engaging the sides of the other angle-pieceand the sides of said armature and a spring for actuating said armaturefor operating said bracket for changing the position of said pole-piecesupon the deenergization of said magnet for preparing another magneticpath and thereby causing the movement of said armature in anotherdirection upon each energization of said magnet and contact membersactuated by the movement of said pivoted pole-pieces when oper-- atingunder the tension of said spring.

5. An electromagnetically operated switching device comprising aplurality of independent operable contact members, a magnet having acore, a pole-piece secured at each end of said core, an armature and abracket mounted on one of said pole-pieces, a pair of arms formed withsaid bracket diverging toward the pole-piece at the other end of thecore, and a spring hooked to the first-mentioned pole-piece and to saidarmature, the line of maximum tension of said spring passing through thelongitudinal axis of said armature and to a point between the arms ofsaid bracket to form a toggle mechanism for automatically operating saidarmature for moving said bracket and said pole-pieces, one of saidpole-pieces away from and the other toward the stationary pole-piece forpreparing another magnetic path for said armature upon thedeenergization of said magnet, and means operated upon each reversingmovement of said armature under the tension of said spring forsuccessively actuating said contact members.

JOHN B. WORTH.

